Below are four case studies of Alchemy Alliance clients.

• Case study 1
• Case study 2
• Case study 3
• Case study 4

  
  CASE STUDY 1 or How Katie Got Her Groove Back

• Developing focus on individual goals and priorities to increase job satisfaction
• Identifying what the client most enjoyed about her job (playing to her strengths)
• Adapting style (behavioural flexibility) for a better cultural fit
• Breaking down creative aspirations into manageable ‘chunks’
  (achievable short term goals)
• Tools for dealing with cultural differences
• Tools for dealing with personality differences
• Techniques for dealing with tight deadlines and time constraints
• Responsible delegation
• Mapping across what worked well from professional to personal life and vice versa

The client has gone on to become one of the company’s peak performers, routinely winning large contracts.

She says: “Having recently arrived from the US and then with the unexpected takeover I felt rather at sea. Working with my coach really helped me to gain a better perspective and recover my confidence. Now I love being here, I love my job and I love lassoing the big contracts"

CASE STUDY 2 or How The Engineers Got From One End Of The Bridge To The Other

Alchemy Alliance provides coaching support for the Leadership Programme of a large engineering company where ‘soft’ skills have not always been valued and so typically the engineers have stayed within their technical remit. Working one-to-one with individuals has enabled them to move out of their comfort zones, building their confidence in dealing with both line managers and subordinates. Areas covered include:

Learning to ‘let go’ and delegate responsibly (to allow more time for strategic thinking) and then experiencing how liberating this can be for all concerned

Encouraging big picture thinking

Providing a space for serious contemplation about themselves, their future and what they really want – instead of what they think they can have

Gaining new perspectives (understanding how others may not view the world in exactly the way they do)

Building confidence in emotional intelligence (demystifying the ‘touchy feely stuff’)

• Providing proven techniques for dealing with personality differences
• Robust tools for managing tight deadlines and time constraints
• Building the confidence to take risks

Here are some comments from engineers Alchemy Alliance has coached:

“Incredibly helpful in getting me to think in terms of clear and focused targets. My coach had the knack of getting below the surface and this made me really consider what I wanted and where and how I could get it’ 

"I don't believe that any other form of training could have delivered what I must call spectacular results in such a short time. I would like to continue coaching to unleash more of my potential"

“Very useful as I was able to plan and execute a different approach to resolving a particular problem, this was achieved by changing my perspective and focusing on the desired outcome. It worked” 

“I find the whole experience of being coached very enlightening. I find I now focus on events I can change and leave alone those I cannot change”

“I find that I give myself more thinking time (i.e. to sort out my toolkit and decide what range of tools I can use) before I launch into a situation. As such I find I can generate more options and get a better buy-in into the preferred solution”

“I found it very useful to structure my ideas and realize that development goes beyond the boundaries of my work environment”

CASE STUDY 3 or How Alan Finally Started To Believe His Own Publicity

A PR Consultant who had recently set up on his own came to Alchemy Alliance when his new venture was not going as well as he had anticipated. Previously used to working in the corporate arena, and unaware of some of the stark realities of starting his own business, his confidence had taken a real knock and he was wondering whether he had made the right move. The client was feeling very stuck and unsure about how to move forward.

After just a few sessions, the client gained fresh perspectives to give him the confidence and motivation he needed to do the hard work necessary to make his new business as successful as he had originally hoped and expected.

Areas we worked together on were:

• Establishing times in his life when our client had been successful and enabling him to access those resources to help him rebuild his confidence
• Encouraging small early steps so he could learn and believe in their power
• Techniques to deal with feelings of overwhelm
• Tools and techniques to work with when he was feeling under-powered and demotivated
• Brainstorming ways the client could find the support he needed and was missing from his corporate days
• Breaking down his limiting beliefs and understanding why he had them

He says: “I felt so relieved to know my lack of confidence and feelings of failure were not exclusive to me. Through coaching I came to understand myself and my beliefs and behaviours much more clearly. I feel genuinely confident now and am well on my way to making my dream of working for myself a real success”

CASE STUDY 4 or How Theresa Got Back On Her Horse

The senior partner in a large law firm approached Alchemy Alliance to work on a personal basis. She came feeling totally overwhelmed and miserable at work despite great professional and financial success. She said she was simply marking time until her retirement that was still some years off.

Our client had given up on all aspects of her life other than work. As this had happened slowly and progressively over many years, she had not been consciously aware of what was going on. She had lost all perspective. And, as her life had become smaller and smaller, she had become increasingly fearful.

Through coaching she became conscious of what was happening to her and felt encouraged and able to make changes.

Areas we looked at with our client were:

• Deconstructing some long held and strong limiting beliefs and gently testing their veracity to gain a different perspective
• Supporting her as she took small but important and meaningful steps to a more satisfying life
• Looking at pastimes and hobbies that had engaged and appealed to her as a child
• Challenging the client when she felt tempted to retreat into the uncomfortable comfort zone of her work shell

The work with this client is ongoing. She has already taken up horse riding and is also studying the Tudors, a period of history that fascinated her as a child.

She says: “Through taking action and becoming more involved in the world outside work, an unexpected bonus is I feel much more connected with my colleagues and now relish instead of dread new challenges”

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"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are"

Joseph Campbell